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Friday, March 9, 2012

Sepia Saturday: Not by the hair

Sepia Saturdaychallenges bloggers to share family history through old photographs.

Facial hair is the focus of this week’s SepiaSaturday.I have many samples of grizzly beards (did you think I said Grizzly Bears?), but not among my Irish family who are getting the glory this month.

My dad was always clean-shaven.So this photo from his performance in “The Light Eternal” while a student at St. Bernard College in Alabama back in 1948-49 came as a surprise.

The Dramatic Club was composed of students from St. Bernard
and Sacred Heart College, the Benedictine women's college.Photo scanned from The Bernardian 1949 (yearbook)

My dad is the one sporting a beard.I wonder if he grew it for the play or if it was part of the make-up.

Fred Slade kneelingPhoto scanned from The Bernardian 1949 (yearbook)

What talent! Notice the concentration, the look of piety. Humphrey Bogart and Errol Flynn were probably quaking in their boots.

Daddy took a bit of a detour before college.Following high school graduation in 1945, Daddy joined the Coast Guard in order to qualify for a GI bill to pay his way to college.Three years later it was a very proud moment for his high school, St. Joseph’s Academy, when they announced that six graduates were going to St. Bernard’s College. Maybe there was a future cardinal or pope in the class.

Scanned from a photocopy of a brittle newspaper clipping
The Portsmouth Star, Sunday Sept. 5, 1948
Fred Slade is in the torn piece

Daddy really let his hair down and made the most of his days at St. Bernard throwing himself fully into the college life.He was vice-president of his freshman class:

He played intramural basketball with the other boys from Portsmouth.While he didn’t have a beard, he certainly always had plenty of arm, leg, and chest hair.

Daddy is seated 2nd from left on the front row.Photo scanned from The Bernardian 1949 (yearbook)

He thought about seminary for awhile, but one of the Benedictines said, “Slade, you’re too worldly.”Well, thank goodness for that bit of insight.I’d hate for anyone to have missed out on having ME in this world!I guess you could say I missed nonexistence by a hair’s-breadth.

Wendy, you are so funny! This is a delightful post. Does your Dad read your blog? If so, I bet he is cracking up too. Thank goodness that he took the career advice on not becoming a priest, but he may have had a great career in acting. That surprises me that those guys were posing with their shirts off like that. Pretty studly crew.

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About Me

My name is Wendy. About twenty years ago, I helped my mother research the Jolletts. Since retiring from teaching, I have expanded my research which I share here. When I’m not looking for my own family, I index for FamilySearch and the Greene County Historical Society.
Welcome to Jollett Etc. Please leave a comment to let me know you were here. If you have more information or believe we are related, EMAIL ME at wendymath at cox dot net